Turkish Broadcaster Fined for Broadcasting Simpsons Episode

Turkey’s Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTUK), the state broadcasting regulator, levied [an approximately $30,000] fine on the cartoon’s Turkish broadcaster for airing an episode on September 20 that was found to be insulting to religion ….

In one segment of the episode, titled “Dial D for Diddly”, the religiously-devout character Ned Flanders goes on a killing rampage after being given orders by what he thinks is the voice of God. Later in the episode, the Devil demands God bring him a cup of coffee. “Yes sir,” God responds, revealing it is actually the Devil that runs the world.

RTUK stated that the episode shows “one of the characters is abusing another one’s religious beliefs to make him commit murders.

The Bible is publicly burned in one scene and God and the Devil are shown in human bodies.”

RTUK also said that God serving the Devil coffee can be considered an insult to religious beliefs.

The fine was handed to Turkish broadcaster CNBC-E for “making fun of God, encouraging the young people to exercise violence by showing the murders as God’s orders.”